Roll coater



Sept. 23, 1969 A, R, NUGARQS 3,468,286

ROLL COTER Filed June 14. 1965 nNvENToR ANTHONY R. NuGARus ATTORNEYS United States Patent O M' U.S. Cl. 118-239 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Roll coater for packaging articles conveyed along a rectilinear path by coating the articles with a molten material that thereafter hardens. The coating roller has a periphery of resilient sponge material which deforms on contact with articles moving along to apply coating to all of the upper surfaces and connecting vertical surfaces of each article. The coating material is supplied to the periphery of roller either through internal passageways or by means of a transfer roller. The transfer rolle1 may have coating material supplied to its periphery by internal passageways or by rotation into and out of a tank of coating material.

This invention relates in general to the packaging of articles, and more particularly to a device for packaging articles with a highly viscous material when in liquid state, and still more particularly to a roll coater for packaging of articles with a preferably transparent coating of material.

With the advent of recent developments of hot melt materials, a coating may be tapplied to articles, both edibles and non-edibles, for effecting a hermetically sealed cover that is generally transparent and easily strippable when it is desired to use the article. Moreover, the present invention is adaptable for coating with materials such as chocolate, syrup, cheese, or other edible materials.

The present invention includes a conveyer for advancing articles along a rectilinear path, and a roller mounted above the conveyer and rotatable to effectively roll on a coating of material onto articles carried on the conveyer. The roller includes generally a hub having a sleeve of open, cellular, resilient material thereon for holding and transferring the coating material to an article. Any suitable means may be provided for supplying coating material to the coating surface of the sleeve.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for packaging and/or coating of articles quickly and eiciently and where a minimum cost in equipment is needed.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a device for coating and/ or packaging articles, wherein the coating and/or packaging can be accomplished economically.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a roll coater including a conveyer for advancing articles along a rectilinear path and a roller positioned above the conveyer for coating the articles advanced by the conveyer Awith a suitable coating material.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of the roll coater according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a modification of the roll coater of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a still further modification of the roll coater of the present invention.

3,468,286 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 ICC Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the roll coater of the present invention includes generally a conveyer 10 that may be comprised of a conveyer belt or the like for advancing articles 11 along a rectilinear path, and a roller 12 for coating the articles 11 as they pass between the roller and conveyer. The present invention is primarily useful for coating of relatively flat articles, and preferably articles that are no greater than 3A inch in height. One particular example is the coating of bacon that is essentially supported on a cardboard tray and is to be sealed to the tray to form a complete package for the bacon so that it can be readily handled and stored. In respect to this example, the articles 11 generally illustrate packaging of bacon wherein a cardboard tray 13 has placed thereon a stack of sliced bacon 14, and is thereafter coated with a molten material to provide a skin coat 15 which seals the bacon slices 14 to the tray 13 and thereby completely packages the bacon slices.

The roller 12 includes generally a hub 16 having a sleeve of open, cellular resilient material 17 thereon, the outer surface 17a being cylindrical and spaced in close proximity to the upper surface of the conveyer 10. The sleeve 17 may be of any suitable material such as silicone or sponge rubber, or polyurethane, as long as it is capable of essentially enveloping the article as it is passed between it and the conveyer as is shown in FIG. 1 and will `withstand temperatures up to about 450 F. The roller 12 is rotatably mounted along an axis that lies in a plane parallel to the conveyer 10, and which axis extends substantially normal to the path of movement of the articles.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the hub 16 includes a central cylindrical member 18 that is hollow and is applied with a source of molten material through a line 19. The line 19 is connected to a pump 20 that draws material from a reservoir 21 and pumps it into the cylindrical portion 18 under a pressure of between 5 and 30 pounds per square inch. Hollow spokes 22 radiate outfwardly from the cylindrical portion 18 and feed the molten material to a screen 23 over which the sleeve 17 is mounted. Thus, the molten material is pumped from the reservoir 21 through the hub 16 and the sleeve 17 to the outer surface 17a after which it is transferred onto the articles 11 that pass between the roller and the conveyer. The roller 12 may be freely rotatable or driven 'at a speed commensurate with the speed of the conveyer 10. A leveling roller 24, freely rotatable or driven, is provided in engagement with the outer surface 17a of the roller 12 for maintaining the coating material at a substantially uniform thickness prior to transferring same onto the articles 11.

The coating material may be of any suitable type, such as the hot melts available today, which is molten under elevated temperatures of between 200 and 400 F. and which hardens at lower temperatures and especially at normal room temperatures to provide an impervious and preferably transparent sheet of material completely contoured to the outer surface of the article against which it is placed. And as above mentioned, the present invention may be employed to coat edible materials with edible coatings.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 2 wherein the roller 12A includes a hub 16A having a sleeve 17A of open, cellular, resilient material thereon that is provided with a coating of material on its exterior surface by means of a transfer roller 25. In this embodiment, the transfer roller would be constructed of suitable material and rotatable through a reservoir 26 holding the molten coating material. Thus, material would be picked up from the reservoir 26 by the transfer roller 25 and thereafter transferred to the external surface of the sleeve 17A of the coating roller 12A to be applied to the articles 11 moving along the conveyor 10. The transfer roller may or suitably driven.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in the manner in which the molten coating material is supplied to the transfer roller 25A. In this embodiment, the material is pumped by a pump 27 from a reservoir 28 through a line 29 to a central feeding hub 30 and outwardly to the exterior surface of the transfer roller 25A. Thereafter, the transfer roller 25A merely transfers the molten material to the coating roller 17A as in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

While not shown, the coating rol-ler in each of the embodiments would preferably be arranged within a heated cabinet, inasmuch as the coating material is applied in molten state. Thereafter, when the articles leave the heated cabinet, the coating will completely harden to provide the desired packaging operation.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is under- 1 stood that this application is to be limted only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A roll coater for packing articles with a highly viscous material that is molten at elevated temperatures comprising, a conveyer for advancing articles along a rectilinear path, a coating roller positioned above said conveyer and rotatable on an axis extending substantially normal to the path of movement of said articles and lying vin a plane extending substantially parallel to the conveyer,

said roller including a hub having a sleeve of open cellular resilient material thereon, the outer surface of said sleeve being substantially cylindrical and arranged in closely spaced relation to said conveyer, and means for providing a highly viscous molten material to said outer surface of the roller that is transferred to an article passing between the roller and conveyer, said means including lpump means for pumping said molten material through said hub and sleeve to the outer surface of said sleeve.

2. A roll coater for packaging articles with a highly viscous material that is molten at elevated temperatures comprising, a conveyor for advancing articles along a rectilinear path, a coating roller positioned above said conveyer and rotatable on an axis extending substantially normal to the path of movement of said articles and lying i in a Vplane extending substantially parallel Vto thev conka transfer roller engaging theperiphery of said coating roller, and pump mearis`"'fo1"15umii,ng, molten material to the .outer surfaces of said transfer roller which thereafter transfers same to said coating roller.

3. Apparatus for packaging articles by applying a coating of material thereover wherein theA material is a highly viscous luid'vhenyrnolten at elevated"v temperatures and solidat room temperatures, said apparatus comprising, a conveyer for supporting and advancing trayshaving articles thereon spaced from the edges of the'trays along a rectilinear -pa'thfa coating roller positioned above said vconveyer-and rotatable on an-axis extending parallel Ito the conveyer and normal to the path of movement of the trays supportedthereon, saidy roller including Aa hub having a sleeve of open cellular resilient material thereon the outer peripheral surface thereof being slightly spaced from said conveyer but close enough so that the sleeve deforms about and envelops the articles on the trays and is capable of engagingA the trays about the articles thereon, and means for applying molten coating material onto the surface of and atleast slightly into said sleeve,1said means including a smooth surfaced resilient roller engaging the outer peripheral surfaces of the coatingroller.v

References. Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 275,214 t4/.1883` yHumphrey 118-262 1,128,903` 2/1915 Risacher et al. 118-259 2,189,765. l2/1940 Takats 118-259 2,541,301 2/1951 Sissler 118-259 3,155,541 11/1964 l'ackson 118-262 XR WALTER A. SCHEEL,l Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 118-259; 206-46y 

